Penang Bangkok Train

There is a daily overnight Penang Bangkok Train if you want to travel from Thailand to Malaysia by train and vice versa.

International Express Train number 36 (Ekspres Antarabangsa) leaves Butterworth train station at
14.00, scheduled to arrive at Bangkok's Hualamphong Railway Station the next day at
10.30am.

Train number 35 is scheduled to leave Bangkok's Hualamphong train
station at 14.45 arriving at Butterworth train station at 13.00 the next
day.

These services are operated by SRT (State Railway of Thailand) and not KTMB ( Malaysian Railways).

This is an all 2nd class air conditioned train, where you will have
to purchase a sleeper bed, either lower bed or upper bed.

The lower beds
are the best by far and are much wider than the upper beds.

This
means they are the first to sell out, so it's best to book at least a
few days in advance, better still at least a week before, especially if you are travelling from Thailand, as the Thai's book up all the good beds to travel down to Hat Yai.

Try to get a bed in the middle of the train as you
don't want to be right next to the automatic doors (at either end of the
carriage) which will mean you won't get much sleep.

Seats / beds
numbers 37 - 40 are right by the door to the exit and 1 - 4 are at the
toilet end.

To buy tickets for the train from Penang to Bangkok there is no need to go to the Butterworth station as you can buy your train tickets in George Town at the small KTM office on Penang Island.

Food
is available on the train for dinner and breakfast as well as soft
drinks and beer (sorry beer is no longer on the menu!). One of the stewards will come around with a menu. The food has improved over the years and there is now a larger choice on the menu, including a vegetarian dish.

Alternatively
you can catch the free, "Freecat Bus" from the main road in front of
the ferry terminal. Get off at the Museum stop to be close to Love Lane
and the budget hotel area.

If you are travelling out to the beaches and staying in Batu Ferringhi, catch bus 101 that leaves from the bus station on the left as you come out of the terminal.

If you are not staying in Penang, the Butterworth Bus Terminal is also just a few minutes away. From here you can catch a bus to just about anywhere in Peninsular Malaysia and all the way down to Singapore.

Other Pages on our site that may be of interest to you if your travelling from Thailand to Penang.